


The Volva

by Fraulein



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-06 23:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16396724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fraulein/pseuds/Fraulein
Summary: Darcy wasn't supposed to be a witch.  With Thor's arrival that suddenly changed.





	The Volva

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Darcyland's October Challenge. Oct 24 theme was The Witch. When I wrote this I hadn't realized it was a movie title. I just wrote based on the word. So this is my take on Darcy as a witch. 
> 
> Special thanks to thestancyg for the proofreading!

As far as witches go, Darcy was considered the ugliest in her family. Her nose wasn’t crooked; she didn’t have any warts, much less any on her face. Her skin was soft and of the fairest porcelain, which contrasted sharply with her soft blush and ruby lips. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue, but not penetrating. If they had to be light they could at least have the ability to hypnotize, but the talent had passed her by. All the women in her family were tall and lean and angular and they looked down from their substantial height and tsked in disapproval over her soft, short, exceptionally feminine frame. Darcy might have overcome all of her many handicaps if she had any talent to speak of. But she lacked the most basic abilities in spell casting and potion brewing. Even familiars hissed at her in disdain. 

As the girls in the coven tittered over her odd appearance and derided her for her lack of abilities, Darcy had a very lonely childhood. Her mother tried to make excuses for her but mostly just sighed in resignation and disappointment. She often commented her biggest mistake was being charmed by a human she had been sent to curse when she was too young and foolish to understand the folly of her decision. Faced with such contempt and ridicule Darcy was not all that upset when she was cast out of the coven on her eighteenth birthday. Her mother was kind enough to provide her with illusion papers that would grant her entrance wherever she chose to go once she left the coven’s enclosure. 

Entering the human world was shocking in many ways but the perception that Darcy was attractive and even desirable shook the very beliefs she had been raised with. Uncomfortable in her own skin and by the attention she garnered, Darcy hid behind as many layers as she could devise. Sweaters hid her figure while she found glasses and caps helped distract people from taking note of her. She quickly learned to deflect questions about her past and blend in with her new surroundings. The college town she landed in was easy to maneuver through as the youthful population overturned regularly and Darcy eventually learned what she needed to fully integrate with the community. 

A human existence suited Darcy and she readily adopted the behaviors and habits of the others around her. Electricity, while not particularly new, intrigued her and demanded her attention as its vibrant powerful energy was conveyed in innumerable ways. The taser Darcy carried with her everywhere had called to her the moment she learned of its existence. It had taken some effort but Darcy had eventually acquired one and kept with her as if it were a talisman. The thought of the small device expelling so many volts of electricity in one burst excited her in a way she couldn’t quite identify. It had never held any particular use to her until one night a god fell from the sky and she felt called to discharge its hidden power. 

As electricity poured from the small device Darcy clutched in her hands, she suddenly felt a vibration sweep through her. While Jane and Erik were distracted by the man she’d fell Darcy was entranced by the electricity coursing across her body and she gasped as power surged through her. Suddenly everything around her emanated a glow, the likes of which Darcy had never seen but instantly recognized. Auroras were something Darcy had learned of while at the coven but the ability to see them was so rare, it had only been briefly discussed. Now though, everything around her glowed, particularly her companions. The man she fell shone brightest, almost blinding in his intensity.  


Over the next two days, Darcy was unable to explore her new powers as SHIELD, one of the many governmental agencies she had learned to fear, descended upon them. While Jane and Erik were occupied with the confiscation of their work Darcy tried desperately to hide in plain sight. While she trusted her illusion papers would open doors within the community she regularly traveled, Darcy was not willing to test their strength and learn if they could hold up under deeper scrutiny. 

It came as a surprise when Darcy found herself momentarily alone with Thor, the mountain of a man she had fallen with her taser.  
“Volva, I cannot express how you honor me that you would reveal yourself,” Thor said respectfully. 

Unaware he was speaking to her Darcy continued to dry the plate she was holding. Once Thor’s words registered she looked up at him and then glancing around the room, landed on him again in confusion. Darcy frowned at him and asked in bewilderment, “Are you talking to me?”

“Forgive me. I do not mean to be discourteous. I am only surprised to see you here. Dare I ask, are you guarding the fair Jane for any particular reason?” Thor inquired attentively.

“Guarding Jane?” Darcy asked mystified, not sure what to make of his odd question. 

“Yes, does not your kind occasionally choose the worthy to shepherd?” Thor asked curiously, adding, “I thought you considered me a threat to Jane and Erik for you to use your magical staff upon me. I assure you I mean no harm to any here and will do anything you bid me shall you have need of assistance.”

Darcy looked at Thor in confusion. While she understood his words, she could not fathom their meaning. As she stared at him Darcy suddenly realized he knew of her unexpected abilities. Slowly walking over to the man, she pulled out a chair and sat down, considering him carefully. After some hesitation, she asked cautiously, “You know what I am?”

“Why yes, you are a volva. Do you not practice seiðr?” Thor asked with a puzzled frown.

“What’s a volva?” Darcy breathed out anxiously.

Thor looked at her in consternation before saying carefully, “A woman of great power that practices seiðr. In the most basic terms, a witch. Please forgive my crudeness. My mother Freya did her best to teach me but I fear I was a poor student in the arts of magic and know little of the variety of powers you may possess.”

“You think I’m a witch?” Darcy asked in quiet dismay.

“Why yes. You have the distinctive glow. And your magic staff dispelled much power upon me. I knew in an instant I was in the presence of a powerful volva,” Thor confirmed confidently. 

“I glow?” Darcy asked in distress, looking down at her hands. 

Thor frowned at her again in confusion, and said, “You glow the softest of blue. I’ve heard only the strongest can emit such constant light.”  


Darcy sat and stared at Thor in disbelief not knowing what to do with what he was telling her. 

After a moment Thor said apologetically, “Please forgive me if I have misspoken. Perhaps I should not have said anything. I was just astounded to see you on Midgard. Dare I ask, how did you come to be in this realm?”

“Realm? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Darcy denied in confusion, adding perplexed, “I’m from here.”

Thor looked at her in surprise and asked sharply, “You were born here?”

“Where else would I’ve been born?” Darcy asked in alarm.

Thor stared at her confounded and slowly said, “My lady, most who practice seiðr are born on Asgard and often study with my mother Freya. Do you not know of her?”

“No. I’ve never heard of seiðr or Asgard. I don’t know who Freya is. Nothing you’re saying makes sense except -” Darcy insisted, suddenly faltering.

“Yes, my lady?” Thor prompted her concerned. 

“You think I’m a witch?” Darcy repeated worriedly.

“Yes, you are clearly a volva. I don’t know what else you could be,” Thor once again confirmed asking her confused, “This comes as a surprise to you?” 

Darcy barked out a short laugh saying incredulously, “If you only knew.” She considered him for a moment before confiding, “I was raised in a coven but was cast out because I have no powers. That is until two days ago. Since I shot you with my taser everything glows. Everything alive has an aurora. Yours is blinding.”

Thor considered her for a moment and said reluctantly, “I do not know what to tell you, my lady. As I said, I am poorly educated in the arts of seiðr but it is my understanding only the strongest see auras.” He tried to assure her and said definitively, “With training, you would likely be an indomitable force.”

Darcy laughed in mild hysteria, stunned by what she was hearing and said incredulously, “After all these years, now I have powers?”

Thor grinned, understanding she was not at all amused, and said with a shrug, “Only the norns know our fates. There must be a reason. Though what I cannot begin to know. If I had the means I would send you to my mother. She would help you find your purpose.”

“So let me get this straight. You really are Thor, the god of thunder. And you’re from someplace called Asgard. And your mother Freya teaches magic?” Darcy said skeptically, all the while hoping he held the answers she needed.

“Yes, that is correct,” Thor acknowledged with a regal nod.

“Ok then. None this makes any sense but considering how everything now glows, none of this is really all that surprising. So if I’m a witch what am I supposed to be able to do? I don’t see much point in being able to see auroras,” Darcy asked flippantly. 

Thor looked at her solemnly before saying seriously, “You hold the balance of life in your very hands, my lady.”

Dumbfounded, it took a moment for Darcy to respond, snapping out in shock, “What?”

“My mother would be able to explain your powers to you more fully,” Thor explained sincerely. Adding apologetically, “I can only tell you what I remember from my studies. But if you can read auroras, you will be able to sap the life from a being as well as give them life, were they even on the cusp of death. It is a much feared and sought after talent.”

Darcy closed her eyes uneasily, attempting to block out what she was hearing and shaking her head in resignation said in anguished disbelief, “Life and death?”

“Is there no place in this realm that teaches the arts of seiðr?” Thor asked in concern, adding kindly, “You said you were from a coven, can you not return there for training?”

Darcy sighed, contemplating the idea for a moment, before saying begrudgingly, “I guess. I promised myself I would never go back. But if what you’re saying is true I might not have much choice.”

“I cannot advise you, my lady,” Thor said regretfully. He bowed to her saying respectfully, “Please know I will do anything I can to assist you. You need only ask.”

Darcy weakly smiled at him in appreciation, amused by his regal bearing and shook her head in consternation before saying sincerely, “Thank you. And thank you for telling me all of this. It helps. I don’t know what I’m going to do but – thanks.”  


“It is my pleasure to assist you,” Thor said magnanimously.

Just then Jane and Erik entered the dealership arguing about who they should contact to try to regain their instruments and research. Darcy retreated to the dishes and Thor stood to welcome the pair. 

The next day as chaos reigned in the streets Darcy felt a surge of power at her fingertips and as the huge alien robot blasted the Asgardians, she was emboldened to help them. Running to take shelter behind an SUV, Darcy extended her hands not knowing what she was doing but hoping for the best. As the Asgardians were thrown clear of the metal monster she took a breath and let go of the energy surging within her. It struck the creature in a blinding light, knocking it off its feet and back several yards. The Asgardians turned to her in astonishment. One of the men said, “My lady, you honor us that you would fight beside us. May we join you?”

“Uh- Yeah sure. Have at it,” Darcy said awkwardly, gesturing down the street as the alien robot regained his feet. 

The battle ensued with Darcy casting her energy when there was a break in the fight until Thor approached the creature. His assault happened quickly and as he flew through the air Darcy saw his energies dissipating. As he landed she knew he would be gone quickly and ran blindly to him. Jane beat her by an instant and as the scientist leaned over him Darcy placed her hand in his hair and simply willed that he live. She didn’t know what she was doing, just thought determinedly at him, to get back up and live. Suddenly, Erik was there pulling both she and Jane away and in the next moment Thor was on his feet and snatching a hammer from the air. He entered into battle with the metal monster and Darcy stood back to watch in awe as Thor overcame it.

With the battle over, Thor flew Jane to the bridge the Asgardians used to travel to earth. Darcy was left standing next to an assortment of government agents she wanted no part of and Asgardians who were exclaiming in joy over Thor’s defeat of the alien robot. As Erik looked at her in confusion, Darcy quickly gathered the Asgardians and said, “Don’t tell anyone what I did. Please? No one here knows.”

The Asgardians looked at her in momentary confusion until the female said respectfully, “As you wish my lady. We will tell no one of your gifts. But please know you have honored us greatly by allowing us to fight by your side.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks. Just don’t say anything, especially to them,” Darcy said nodding to the government agent walking their way. With an understanding nod, the Asgardians turned as one to the agents who was asking where Thor had gone. 

It took some time to organize the group but eventually everyone was packed into SUVs and the van and they returned to the location where the Asgardians had arrived. The warriors did their best to explain the bridge they used, called the bi-frost, and how they had reached earth but made little headway with the agents. Upon arriving the group found Thor intermediately yelling to the sky and reassuring Jane of his return. As the Asgardians approached Thor glanced over at Darcy and Erik. He nodded and said, “I shall return as soon as I am able. Perhaps I will bring others with me. My mother perchance. She is a lady of great power who would enjoy learning of this realm and its people.”

Turning back to Jane he spoke softly to her and returned to the center of the burnt ring and yelled again requesting the bi-frost to open. Darcy watched, astonished as light burst from the sky and swept the five Asgardians away. As the government agents scuttled about Darcy stood back next to Erik and pulled Jane close as she thought about Thor’s last words. Darcy was certain he was trying to reassure her. She was hopefully he would be able to return with his mother as Darcy sorely needed someone to help her understand her new powers. 

As day passed into evening and Thor had not yet returned the threesome retreated to their van, glad to be free of the government agents. On the drive back to the lab Erik turned toward Darcy and said hesitantly, “You’re a witch?”

“Um, I guess?” Darcy said reluctantly, fervently wishing neither Erik nor Jane had witnessed her fighting.

“Darcy, how did you do whatever it was you were doing with that light?” Jane asked, glancing back in concern as she drove.

“I don’t really know?” Darcy admitted in confusion, adding adamantly, “You can’t tell anyone. Ok? It just happened. Ever since Thor got here I’ve been able to – well. I don’t know. I just had this urge to help and suddenly I had power coming out of my hands.”

“That’s impossible,” Jane exclaimed incredulously.

“Jane, after what you just saw, you think what I did is impossible?” Darcy snapped disconcerted that the scientist questioned something she had seen with her own eyes. 

“No, I don’t,” Jane quickly conceded with a disturbed frown adding, apologetically, “I’m sorry I’m just – Everything that happened is - You’re ok though, right?”

“I’m fine. I think. I’m sort of tired,” Darcy confessed, quickly forgiving any implied insult. 

“When we get back you need to rest,” Jane said with a concerned frown.

Erik glanced back at Darcy and said, “I’ve heard stories since I was a child of women with power like yours, but I never believed it. You said it just happened?”

“Yeah. Since the night Thor landed I’ve been able to see auroras,” Darcy confirmed. “Though this is the first time I’ve actually done anything. Thor told me he thought his mother might be able to help me,” Darcy explained worriedly.

“Thor knew you were a witch?” Jane asked surprised.

“Yeah. Even I didn’t know,” Darcy said acknowledged in delighted dismay. She laughed awkwardly saying, “He just started talking to me about it while you guys were with SHIELD. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or him when he finally realized that I had no idea what he was talking about.”

“And, you think he’ll bring his mom back to help you?” Jane asked inquiringly.

“He said she taught women in Asgard how to use magic. He thought she might be able to help me,” Darcy explained unsurely. 

“Freya is a goddess of love and war but she’s known for her magic, too,” Erik reassured her. 

“Hopefully he’ll be back soon,” Darcy said, adding worriedly, “In the meantime, don’t say anything ok? The last thing I need is SHIELD knowing.”

“She’s right. We can’t trust them,” Erik adamantly agreed. 

“I won’t say anything Darcy. They don’t need to know,” Jane assured her.

 

Initially, the threesome expected another visit from Thor at any moment, but as days passed they lost hope. Jane and Erik began to discuss ways of opening communication with Asgard, now that they knew such a thing was possible. They excitedly discussed creating their own bridge using wormholes and were up to all hours, wrapped in science. Darcy kept to the background, cooking and organizing as agents came and went observing their activities. As anxious as SHIELD made her Darcy was determined to stay close to Jane in the hopes she would be there for Thor’s eventual return. 

In the meantime, Darcy did her best to carefully explore her powers, praying nothing would trigger the more violent side she had discovered. As she began to distinguish plant and animal life auroras and heal sickly plants, Darcy contemplated just how extreme her gift may be. She was sorely tempted to return to the coven to demonstrate just how powerful she was. Darcy wanted to indulge the vindictive righteousness she felt to prove she was, after all, a real witch. She resisted the urge to descend on the coven mostly because she didn’t want to share what she was learning. Darcy knew her powers were singularly unique and she didn’t want the coven, after everything they had put her through, taking credit for them. She also had a feeling she was beyond anything they could teach her as her particular skills were seen as unlikely, if not impossible for someone to manifest. What could they teach her that she couldn’t figure out on her own? Darcy decided it was best if she waited for Thor to return, hopefully with his mother.


End file.
